EAA/ANN AirVenture Innovation Preview

'General Aviation Manufacturers Have Continued To
Innovate'

At this morning's General Aviation Manufacturers Association's
(GAMA) annual "State of the Industry" press conference, President
and CEO Pete Bunce called for a more efficient, streamlined
industry-government partnership to continue economic growth and job
creation in general aviation manufacturing given new fiscal
realities.

"We recognize that all government spending is being highly
scrutinized at this time. Given the degree of government regulation
of our industry, reductions to programs and activities critical to
aviation safety must be carefully thought out to prevent unintended
consequences that could derail our industry," said Bunce.

Despite the tremendous economic downturn experienced over the
past few years, general aviation manufacturers have continued to
innovate and invest in new products, looking to take advantage of
global market opportunities as the recession ends.

"As our industry builds back to growth and prosperity, we will
need to work in industry-government partnerships where there is
tremendous pressure to do much more with much less," said Bunce.
"Our manufacturers face unique circumstances since their ability to
deliver any product to market is dependent upon government
regulators certifying their work. Additionally, our customers
cannot fly the products we produce unless continued investment is
made in critical infrastructure like the air traffic control
system."

To meet these new challenges, Bunce said that international
aviation safety agreements must be leveraged in order to promote
safety and reduce regulatory burden. In addition to certification
and air traffic modernization, he also cited the need for better
cooperation between industry and government in aviation security
and the environment.

"The changes needed in policy and regulation in these areas are
great," concluded Bunce. "We must capitalize on this opportunity to
develop added efficiencies in government policies and procedures to
increase safety and keep pace with industry growth."